Langka Tartlets

A quick look in the freezer and I saw the langka (jackfruit) that I had frozen several weeks ago! I needed to unload some of the stuff in the freezer so I racked my brains and came up with this!

The filling is actually a very "loose" yema.  Why did I think of yema as a filling?  Well, because I love yema!  And... the way we made it (in my childhood) was so easy!

Melt (about) 2 tablespoons of salted butter over low heat.  Meanwhile, mix together 1 can of condensed milk and 2 extra large egg yolks; add this to the melted butter.  Stir, stir, stir.  When the mixture thickens a bit (about 10 to 15 minutes over low heat), add 250 grams frozen or fresh finely chopped langka.  Continue cooking over low heat until thick (another 5 minutes or so).  Cool completely.  Spoon into mini tart shells and bake about 10 to 15 minutes at 375F or until tart shells are golden brown.  Serve warm.

Homemade Langkasuy Yogurt Ice Cream

We went on a short getaway to the nearby south and I came back with a really big langka (jackfruit).  I had been skeptical of its sweetness, but a quick taste test and I was sold!

I had really been on the lookout for langka because I wanted to make my own langkasuy (langka and kasuy/jackfruit and cashew) ice cream.  Most of the recipes I found online used preserved langka, for convenience, I suppose.  But I wanted mine with fresh langka!  And I didn't want to cook, which meant no eggs!  Then I did not have an ice cream maker!

This meant that I had to make my own preserve.  Using the instructions for mango jam in the book "Introduction to Food Preservation" by Matilde P. Guzman (1977), I made my langka "jam", reducing the sugar in half (because the langka was really, really sweet already on its own).  The resulting "jam" measured just a little less than a cup.

I based my recipe on this, modifying it to suit my taste -

First I halved the recipe, but still used almost a cup of (homemade) langka preserve.  Instead of egg yolks and soy milk, I used Greek-style yogurt.  Everything (all ingredients very cold) got blitzed in the food processor.  I transferred the mixture to a stainless steel bowl, covered it with plastic cling film and froze it for 1 to 2 hours (depending on the freezer), until the sides were frozen but the middle was still liquid.

I then re-beat the mixture (still in the bowl) with a hand mixer for 30 seconds (it actually looked like soft serve ice cream at that point).  Then it was time for the mix-ins...  fold in 1/4 cup chopped fresh langka and 1/4 cup chopped kasuy.  Transfer to a container, cover well, and freeze until solid.

To serve, let the ice cream stand at room temp for 10 minutes, or in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes, to soften slightly (more scoopable this way).

I love, love, love it!  The texture is very creamy.  It is definitely less sweet than the commercial variety.  In fact, there was a slight tang to it, perhaps due to the yogurt, but the langka flavor was perfect (not subtle but not overpowering) and the cashew bits were plentiful, just the way I like it!

Turon na Langka

Everyone is familiar with the turon made of saging (banana) deep fried with caramelized sugar.  There's even a variant that has a sliver of langka (jackfruit) with the banana.  But this... this turon na langka is pure bliss!

No caramelized sugar necessary as each bite bursts with such sweetness that only fresh ripe langka can bring!

And it is so easy to make!  Just wrap a couple of langka pieces (not slivers) in lumpia wrapper and deep fry!

If only I could indulge more...